Abstract
PURPOSE: Social determinants of health (SDoHs) influence how well a family manages children's asthma. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of SDoHs on family asthma management. DESIGN: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted with 292 children in grades 2 to 5 who had current asthma and their parents to examine associations between SDoHs and the families' asthma management, quality of life, and healthcare utilization. METHODS: Data were collected from both child and parent. Social determinants of health include the child's race/ethnic group, age, gender, and asthma severity and the family's socioeconomic status and language spoken in the home, and the school was the community-level variable. Parents and children completed asthma management and quality-of-life scales and parents reported on the children's emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma. RESULTS: Worse quality of life was reported by families with lower socioeconomic status and African American children. Asthma severity was associated with parents' asthma management but not children's asthma self-management. Families who spoke Spanish at home had the lowest socioeconomic status yet performed significantly more asthma management than English-speaking families. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight factors the clinical nurse specialist should address in educational interventions.